Last week, I attended a chapel service at the hospital, and was introduced to the concept of “broken” and leaving things broken. We were treated to Alice Walker’s poem entitled, I WILL KEEP BROKEN THINGS…
We have all experienced things that are broken in our country, across the globe, and, in this world. In addition to the recent events of the world, it’s people, our communities, our families, our bodies, and our selves, throughout our lives, we All experience this lack of wholeness in some way.
There are things that break: Dishes break, tree branches break, glassware, bones, eyeglasses, and even, yes, our spirit.
And then, there are things that breakdown: Cars, appliances, composting, technology, and also, communication.
And, at times, they can be fixed… And often, they cannot.
Recently, I’ve been introduced to the Japanese art of “Kintsugi”.
It is the art of repairing broken objects. It’s often ceramic pottery, or glass. Traditionally, gold lacquer is used to piece shards together again, creating a MORE beautiful object, through the acts of breaking, and repair. Kintsugi LITERALLY a means “join with gold”.
Yes, there IS beauty in broken things.
And yes, there is also something very satisfying about repairing something that is broken, rather than discarding it.
And yes, some things DO need to be left broken…
But, consider this…We learn SO much FROM the actual breaking— It’s fragility, its longevity, its value, and yes, even its strength. If we CAN repair it, it will NEVER be the same gain. But, much like a broken bone that has healed, it may become even stronger than before, and able to do things that it has never BEEN able to do before. It is also SEEN with different eyes, having BEEN, and having become. And, in this, it gains purpose, and we, in turn, gain wisdom.
I have spoken with patients who have noted that they have a much bigger appreciation and fervor for life that they had never had prior to their diagnosis.
often, our faith is tested the exact same way. We seek repair, need healing, and we feel shattered. But, in time, we put ourselves back together…Maybe very differently than we may have expected, or even hoped for, and, like healing, it takes time.
Wherever you are in your healing and your own personal Kintsugi, I wish you Mi Sh’berach, much healing, and, of course, peace.
Cloves of Carolyn 